Bellows for valve structures



Dec. 12, 1944.A

G. TQ DOWNEY BELLOWS FOR VALVE STRUCTURES Filed Feb. 19, 1943 yf i@ 57azawney Patented Dec. 12, 1944 fummo STATES PATENT oFFl/cr: f.

k2,365,063 .BELLoWs` .Fort vALvE'Is'rRUC'rUREs George TfDowneyfQorry',12a., assignorto Aero *SupplyMfg Co. Inc., Corryf Pa.

lApplication February-lil, 1943, :Serial No.'47 16,44e5 "7' claims.'(ol, 137-21565) This invention i relates Vto a: flexiblefseal:forfencompassing a movable valve.

An-obj ect :of this .invention isto provide .a ilexible bellowsorsealifor a movable valvewhichwill encompass azvalve operator wherein theoperator maybe of .either the electrical, hydraulic or mechanical type.

.Anotherobject of thisinvention is to provide a. vflexible bellows whichmay beformed of rubber and "within which is embedded `a flexible fmetalreinforcing fabric.

A further o-bject :of this invention is'to'provide a `flexible ireinforced bellows .whichV has4 embedded therein .ati` each end..cup-shapedV flangesi for providing a rmmeanstoisecure :the ends ofthebellows to the valvehousingand tothe-movable valve.

To the foregoing 'objects and otherswhichv may hereinafter appear., theinvention consists of the novel; construction, combination and.arrangement of parts as will be vvmore specifically referredto andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein isshown an embodimentof the invention, butitis to begunderstood that variations,modifications and changes may beresorted to which fall within the,scopeI of the invention fas iclaimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is 'a longitudinal section 'of `atypical valve with'which theYflexiblebellows embodied in this inventions adapted to be used; thebellows being diagrammatically shown,

Figure `2 `is -af vertical sectiony partly brokenv away of the bellows,

`Figure 3 yis a verticalbsection partly broken away of a modiile'dformof bellows,

Figure 4 is "a longitudinalgsecton fof another form of--thisinvention,aand

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of one end ofthereinforcingstructure embedded in the resilient body.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates generally a valvehousing which has mounted on the interior thereof a valve plate ormember II. The valve member II is adapted to seat on a seat I2 which inthe presentl instance is inclined to the longitudinal axis of thehousing I0. The valve member II is rockably mounted on a rock shaft I3which may be provided with any suitable operating means exteriorly ofthe housing I0. An offset housing I4 is formed integral with the valvehousing I0 and the valve member I I is adapted to swing outwardly intothe housing I4 when the valve member II is in open position. A closureI5 is secured by fastening members I6 to the housing I4 and a flexiblebellows or seal member I1 'is interposedbetween the closure :I5 andvawseat I8. The closure I5 is also interposed at its inner end betweenaclamping plate I9 carried by the y.valve member II and the valve plate20.

.'Ihe valvet.=structure herein disclosed iszmerely illustrative of onetype of va valve structurewith whichthe'flexible bellows, to behereinafter. described, is adaptedito'be used. The bellows Il comprisesVan initially cylindrical body 2l, :as shown-in Figure 2,wh.ichV isadaptedv to be formed of :rubber or other flexible material.'I'heyieldablecylindrical body `2l has embedded therein :'.a cylindricalflexible metallic fabric 22. VThe fabric 22 may `beformed of wire mesh,or if desired may be formed of interengaging rings, which isadaptedtofbe-disposed midwaybetween the inner and outer surfaces of vthebody..2l. The outer end of thebodyll also has .embedded therein ametalilangeff23.

The flange-23 includes a cylindrical member which is positionedinteriorly of the outer endf of the fabric 22- and which may besolderedor otherwise `fixedlysecured to thefabric 22. The cylindricalmember24ihas formed integral therewithv an tannular flange 25 andthe-member 24 vwith the flange 25 is embedded-within the material'formingthe bellows Il, as shown in Figure`2 so that the-exible orresilient material forming" the bellows 22 `will provide a seal onopposite sides of the flange 25 whenV the outer end ofthe bellows isinterposedbetween the closure plate I5 and the seat-I8.

Thebellows I'lfat itsrouter end'portion is're-J duced in diameter as at26, due to vthe'embedding.

ofl the "cylindrical flange member `24 within the bellows interiorly ofthe metal fabric'22.

The .inner end ofthe bellows I'I lalso has embedded therein a, metalreinforcing flange 21. The

flange 21 includes a cylindrical member 28 which encompasses the innerend of the metal fabric 22 and which may be secured as by soldering.welding or the like to the periphery of the fabric 22 at the inner endthereof. An inwardly projecting annular flange 29 is formed integralwith the cylindrical flange 28, and the bellows I1 at its inner-'end isinturned so as to provide an inwardly projecting flange 30 engaging onopposite sides of the annular metal flange 29.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is disclosed a slightly modified formof bellows wherein a bellows Ila is provided having a cylindricalresilient or rubber body 2 Ia. The body 21a has embedded therein aflexible metal fabric 22a and the outer end of the cylindrical body 2 Iais formed with an annular flange 3| within which the outer end portionof the reinforcing metal fabric 22a is adapted to be embedded, thefabric 22a forming a metal and :flexible flange 32.

The inner end of the bellows I1a is formed with an inwardly projectingflange 32a and the metal fabric 22a is extended inwardly interiorly ofthe flange 30a, as shown at 33, so as to form a flexible reinforcingflange within the rubber or yieldable flange 30a,

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the numeral I1b designates generally acylindrical body of flexible material, such as rubber or the like,having an outwardly projecting flange 34h at one end thereof and aninwardly projecting flange 30D at the opposite end thereof. v isembedded in the flange 34D and a flat metal ring 36 is embedded in theflange 30h. The outer diameter of the body I 1b and the inner diameterof the ring 36 is less than the inner diameter of the body I1b. Aflexible metallic cloth 31 is embedded in the body I1b, is secured atone end thereof to the inner circle of the ring 35 and isl secured atthe other end to the outer circle of the ring 36.

In Figure 5 there is disclosed the method of' and means for `securingthe fabric 31 to the two metal rings. It will be noted that the fabric31 is formed of interengaging rings and a wire 38 is threaded throughthe rings at one end of the fabric 31 and is then threaded through holes39 formed in the ring 35. The opposite end of the fabric is secured tothe ring 36 by means of a securing wire 40 engaging through outer holesformed in the outer portion of the ring 36.

In the use of this bellows structure, the outer end of the bellows I1 isadapted to have the flange 34 thereof interposed between the closure I5and the seat I8. The inner end of the bellows I1 has the flange 30thereof interposed between the clamping plate I9'and the Valve plate 20forming part of the valvemember II. The operator I3 may then be actuatedto move the valve member II off of the seat I2, and in this movement thebellows I1 will flex or be compressed while at the same time sealing theelements secured to the valve member I I interiorly of the bellows I1.By providing a bellows as hereinbefore described, which is reinforced bya metal fabric, the bellows will not readily crack or break during theflexing thereof. In addition, the provision of the embedded metalflanges within the bellows which are also flxedly secured to the metalfabric provide flrm means at the opposite ends of the bellows forsecuring the ends of the bellows to the valve housing and the movablevalve member.

What I claim is:

1. A bellows for a valve structure comprising a non-metallic flexibletubular body, rigid flange A flat metal ring 35 members embedded in saidbody at the ends of the latter, and a flexible metallic fabric embeddedin said body between said flange members.

2. A bellows for a valve structure comprising a flexible tubular body,rigid flange members embedded in said body at the ends of the latter,one of said members including a cylindrical flange and an outwardlyextending annular flange, the other of said members including acylindrical flange and an inwardly extending annular flange, and aflexible metallic4 fabric embedded in said body between said flangemembers.

3. A bellows for a valve structure comprising a flexible tubular body,rigid flange members embedded in said body at the ends of the latter,one of said members including a cylindrical flange and an outwardlyextending annular flange, the other of said members including acylindrical flange and an inwardly extending annular ange, and aflexible metallic fabric embedded in said body and telescoping saidcylindrical flanges.

4. A bellows for a. valve structure comprising a flexible tubular body,rigid flange members embedded in said body at the ends of the latter,one of said members including a cylindrical flange andr an outwardlyextending annular flange, the other of said members including a,cylindrical flange and an inwardly extending annular flange, and aflexible metallic fabric embedded in said body and flxedly secured atthe opposite ends thereof to said annular flanges.

5. A bellows for a valve structure comprising a flexible tubular body,an outwardly projecting metallic flange forming ring embedded in one endof said body, an inwardly projecting flange forming ring embedded in theother end of said body, and a flexible perforate metallic fabricembedded in said body and secured to said rings.

6. A bellows for a valve structure comprising a flexible tubular body, aflat ring embedded in said body at one end thereof and having an outerdiameter greater than the outer diameter of said body to thereby form anoutwardly projecting flange, an inwardly projecting flat ring embeddedinthe opposite end of said body and having an inner diameter less thanthe inner diameter of said body to thereby form an inwardly projectingflange, and a flexible metallic fabric secured at one end to the inneredge of said flrst ring and at the other 'end to the outer ends of saidsecond ring.

' '1. A bellows for a valve structure comprising a non-metallic flexibletubular body, rigid-flange members embedded in said body at the ends ofthe latter, and a flexible metallic fabric embedded in said body betweensaid flange members, said fabric being formed of interengaging rings.

GEORGE T. DOWNEY.

